Subject: Appeal against disciplinary action and termination of services of Professor GN Saibaba

Dear Sir,

We, the undersigned, current and past teachers of various universities in India and abroad, are writing to draw your attention to the alarming situation concerning one of our colleagues and fellow teacher, Dr G.N. Saibaba (Assistant Professor of English, Ram LalAnand College, University of Delhi). From news reports and through friends we have come to know that the college has issued him a show cause notice asking him to explain why disciplinary action (including termination of service) should not be taken against him consequent upon his conviction in a case registered in Gadhchiroli, Maharashtra.

We firmly believe that he has been wrongfully convicted under false charges, levelled by police as a vendetta towards Dr Saibaba’s consistent work to expose the atrocities that the under-privileged and marginalised sections of Indian population have been suffering. He has been a target of attack and his family has faced extremely hostile situations in the past because of their uncompromising work in upholding democratic and constitutional rights of the most oppressed people. We are convinced, further, that the higher judiciary in India will restore justice by acquitting him of all false charges. In any case, he has a right to exhaust all legal remedies for securing justice. He has already filed an appeal against his conviction in the Nagpur bench of the Bombay High Court which will soon come for hearing.

It will be a travesty of justice, if his and his family’s suffering is deliberately compounded by further punishing him for a crime that he did not commit and from what he is seeking relief from the Court. He is already under suspension, and the family is surviving on the meagre subsistence allowance. We appeal to you and request, in all earnest, not to take any further punitive action that may jeopardise his family’s well being, as well as his capacity to seek legal relief.

Dr Saibaba is a dedicated teacher, loved by his students and colleagues, and an outstanding scholar. He has contributed immensely to the corporate life of the College and the University by working in various capacities of crucial responsibility. We request you to give adequate consideration to Dr Saibaba’s academic profile, and sincerely hope that your office will give our appeal a sympathetic consideration and not allow any further punitive action to take place against Dr G.N. Saibaba.